Acetylene-generator



E. LUDER. ACETYYLENEVGENERATORL APPLICATION FILED APR.2119l9.

1,377,595. Patented May 10, 1921.

[71 6/2 50/. 2/ /25! [ads/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNST LUDER, or vrsr, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR r0 USINES ELECTRIQUES DE LA LONZA, or eAMrEnswrrzEnLAnn.

ACETYLENE-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 10, 1921.

Application filed April 2, 1919. Serial No. 287,047.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNs'r LUDER, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, and resident of Visp, Canton of Wallis, Switzerland, have invented a new and useful Acetylene Generator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The acetylene generators hitherto employed are in a great measure not applicable for granulous or pulverulelit carbid. For this purpose special generators have been constructed, which are based on the principle. that the carbid is introduced, packed into closed vessels, into the liquid beneath the generator hood and that these vessels are opened under this latter by the aid of a special device for instance by raising a lid, so that the water obtains access to the carbid. A great drawback of these devices is that much handling is necessary, as for instance the packing of the carbid into the supplying vessels, the immersion of these latter in the generator water, and their removal from this water. This is attended with losses and troublesome for the workmen, owing to the'development of dust and the inevitable formation of acetylene in the always moist air. Heretofore probably no generator for pulverulent carbid with automatic supply was known; at any rate such generators with automatic supply of pulverulent carbid have not been introduced in the practice.

The present invention relates now to an acetylene generator, in which the carbid is blown under the generator hood with the aid of a jet of water.

The accompanying drawing shows a vertical section of an example of such an acetylene generator.

In the drawing H designates the generator hood immersed into the generator water and under which the production of acetylene takes place, the said hood being provided with a dome E for carrying the acetylene away. The carbid is fed through a tube R, to which the carbid is conveyed from an upper store receptacle V, which is advantageously provided with a regulating device S in order to obtain a regular and uniform supply. In the tube It is now produced a strong jet of water directed toward the generator by means of a central water nozzle D. If at the suction side of the water nozzle the chamber communicates the water level, where the carbid is decomposed. Without the water nozzle D the carbid powder would partly remain adhering on the walls of the tube R and be decomposed and cause obstructions in the said tube. Now the water nozzle tends to produce in the upper part of the tube R a reduced pressure, which would compel the air to flow through the store receptacle V. But access of air must of course be avoided. In order to attain this result, there is interposed, between the upper part of the tube R and the gas room of the hood H, a tube Gr, through which acetylene passes continuously from the hood H, so that the gas pressure in the part of the tube R, which is above the water nozzle, is maintained at a pressure slightly lower than the pressure of the gas under the hood. It results therefrom that owing to the circulation of the acetylene through the tube G to the suction side of the nozzle, air has no access through the store receptacle V while a pressure below that of the atmosphere is avoided in the upper part of the tube R. If the gas pressure under the hood H and consequently also the pressure in the upper part of the tube R are relatively high, more or less acetylene will escape according to the height of the carbid filling of the store receptacle V. In order to regulate the pressure in It in such manner that neither an intake of air nor an appreciable escape of acetylene can take place, there is interposed on the tube G a safety device and pressure regulating device, for instance a water seal By varying the water level in W the pressure in the upper part of the tube B may be regulated in such a manner, that neither oxygen can have access therein, nor acetylene can escape therefrom. The pressure therein is equal to the gas pressure in the hood H minus the pressure corresponding to the height of the water column in W. Further more the water seal W avoids any return of the acetylene from the upper part of B through the tube G in the hood H. The letter a designates an overflow forming an out let for the surplus water from the generator.

The water for the jet is best derived from the acetylene generator because the water in this is already saturated with acetylene. Since, however, water is consumed in the production of acetylene both chemically and for clearing the apparatus, that is to say fresh water must be supplied from time to,

time, the water flowing through the nozzle D may receive an addition of sufficient fresh water to keep the water level in the generator constant.

What I claim is:

An acetylene generator comprising a carbid receptacle having a delivery opening, a generating chamber below the receptacle water, a vertical tube leading from said opening to the lower part of said chamber, a

downwardly directed water nozzle arranged in the tube directly under the opening, a communication between the top of said chamber and the tube above said nozzle and a pressure reducing means in the communication.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this fifth day of March, 1919, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNST LUDER.

Witnesses:

SCOTT TAGGART, AMAND BITTER. 

